Advancing at Southern End of Egyptian Line

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 209, 2 September 1942, Page 5

Advancing at Southern End of Egyptian Line

WEAK ITALIAN THRUST BEATEN BACK (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Sept. 1. Rommel has begun an attack on th-. southern flank of the Allied line in Egypt, •t is announced in London. The War Office issued the following statement: “For some days past ther* have been signs of renewed activity o*. Rommel's front, and early on Monday morning German forces, including armou>, pushed forward against our souther,, ■tank in the neighbourhood of Ei Himcmat, which is on the fringe of the Quattar a Depression about 25 miies south o. t£i Alemein, where they were immediatei> engaged by our light forces. “Fighting is proceeding. There is no indication whether the offensive is on a major scale. A weak enemy thrust, mainly by Italians, against our main rront was repulsed with loss to the enemy." Some major move in Egypt has been .ndicated in the past few days by the increasing momentum of the Allied an attack on enemy aerodromes, bases, snipping and ports. On Saturuay night, says a Cairo communique, our bombers and torpedocarrying aircratt successfully attacked shipping off the Cyrenaican coast. Three ships were hit, two being left ablaze. An enemy tanker in the Mediterranean was left biazing from stem to stern. On Saturday night, our medium bombers, light bombers, and naval aircraft continued their raids over the cattle area and Tobruk. American medium and heavy bombers participated in the Tobruk raid. They also started several fires and observed large explosions on an enemy landingground eastward of Mersa Matruh. The anti-aircraft fire was moderate, and there were no night fighters. All our planes returned safely. In combats over the Alamein area on Sunday, our fighters destroyed at least three Messerschmitts and damaged others. Two enemy planes were destroyed on Sunday night during small-scale aetiyity over our base landing-grounds. During Monday, Allied long-range fighters attacked enemy desert communications with what are described as “very good results." Our patrols engaged enemy working parties on Saturday night. On Sunday, there was nothing to report from the land forces.